rowess, quickly proceeded against the son of
Pandu in battle. Piercing each other with whetted arrows, equipped with
wings of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent like two masses of
clouds penetrated by the rays of the sun. Then the son of Pandu, excited
with rage, cut off the armour of Suta's son with six and thirty
broad-headed arrows of great sharpness and fierce energy. The
mighty-armed Suta's son also, O bull of Bharata's race, pierced the son
of Kunti with fifty straight arrows. The two warriors then, smeared with
red sandal-paste with many a wound caused by each other's arrows, and
covered also with gore, looked resplendent like the risen sun and the
moon. Their coats of mail cut off by means of arrows, and their bodies
covered with blood, Karna and Bhima then looked like a couple of snakes
just freed from their sloughs. Indeed, those two tigers among men mangled
each other with their arrows, like two tigers mangling each other with
their teeth. The two heroes incessantly showered their shafts, like two
masses of clouds pouring torrents of rain. Those two chastisers of foes
tore each other's body with their arrows, like two elephants tearing each
other with the points of their tusks. Roaring at each other and showering
their arrows upon each other, causing their cars to trace beautiful
circles, they resembled a couple of mighty bulls roaring at each other in
the presence of a cow in her season. Indeed, those two lions among men
then looked like a couple of mighty lions endued with eyes red in wrath,
these two warriors endued with great energy fought on like Sakra and
Virochana's son (Prahlada). Then, O king, the mighty-armed Bhima, as he
stretched his bow with his two hands, looked like a cloud charged with
lightning. Then mighty Bhima-cloud, having the twang of the bow for its
thunder and incessant showers of arrows for its rainy downpour, covered,
O king, the Karna-mountain. And once more Pandu's son, Bhima of terrible
prowess, O Bharata, shrouded Karna with a thousand shafts shot from his
bow. And as he shrouded Karna with his winged shafts, equipped with Kanka
feathers, thy sons witnessed his extra-ordinary prowess. Gladdening
Partha himself and the illustrious Kesava, Satyaki and the two protectors
of (two) wheels (of Arjuna's car), Bhima fought even thus with Karna.
Beholding the perseverance of Bhima who knew his own self, thy sons, O
monarch, all became cheerless.'"

SECTION CXXXVI

"Sanjaya sai